Turkey engaging in ‘witch hunt’ on judiciary after coup attempt, analysts say
OTTAWA — The Turkish government faced accusations Monday of engaging in a “witch hunt” for arresting or firing thousands of judges and prosecutors following the weekend’s failed coup.
A pair of Canadian academics used the term separately, saying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was falsely blaming the failed uprising on Turkey’s so-called Gulen movement. Its leader is the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally.
“This coup attempt was staged in no uncertain terms by the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization,” Erdogan’s government said in a statement Monday.
“Our government has been constantly exposing the real motives of this terrorist group and its leader.”